Texas A&M catcher, Memorial HS product on competing for CWS title: 'This is what you dream of'

OMAHA, Nebraska (KTRK) -- This is the 122nd season of Texas A&M baseball. When the Aggies take the field in Omaha this weekend, it will be for the biggest games in program history.

Never before has the Aggies baseball team played for a national championship. In fact, no Texas A&M team in any major men's sport has won a title since football's championship in 1939. But the Aggies are in the on-deck circle of history.

They'll face fellow Southeastern Conference member Tennessee in a best two-of-three series for the national title.

SEE ALSO: Texas A&M Aggies secure their first-ever Men's College World Series Finals

Catcher Jackson Appel, a Memorial High School product from Houston, started his college baseball career at Penn. He played in just seven total games in his first two seasons.

But after being named All-Ivy League in 2022 and 2023, he transferred to A&M for his senior season. With the Aggies, he was voted the best catcher in the SEC - and he's two wins away from helping A&M win its first baseball national title.

"I'm living the dream," Appel told ABC13 via Zoom Friday. "I only played a couple games in my early years at Penn, but I spent a lot of time in the weight room and practicing, grinding, and trying to get better to play for something like this. If I didn't come to A&M at all, I'd probably be working right now. I might be behind a desk with Excel open. I'm happy where I'm at right now, though. This is pretty fun."

Texas A&M is undefeated in postseason play, having not lost a game since they were eliminated from the SEC Tournament on May 23 by Tennessee - their opponent in the CWS Finals.

"This is what you dream of," Appel said of playing for a national title. "I hope I can be part of Aggies history. Hopefully, we can be the ones to do it. This is what I dreamed of since I was a little kid - coming to Omaha. You watch all these games, see these guys on TV - and now I guess I'm one of these guys on TV."

Game 1 of the College World Series Finals is on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC13's sister network, ESPN. Game 2 will be live on ABC13 on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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